This invention relates to electrotherapy, and more particularly to a method and apparatus for applying electrotherapy.
Heart arrhythmia, such as ventricular fibrillation (VF), can be classified based upon the characteristics of the ECG waveform measured during arrhythmia. In general, the characteristics of the ECG waveform measured during arrhythmia change as the episode progresses. The changes in the characteristics of the ECG waveform indicate that there is likely an underlying physical change in the heart associated with the progression of the arrhythmia. Because of changes in the heart resulting from the progression of arrhythmia, there is a need for an electrotherapy method and apparatus that adjusts the electrotherapy applied to the patient based upon changes in the characteristics of arrhythmia.
Accordingly, an electrotherapy apparatus and a method for performing electrotherapy on a patient have been developed to meet this need. A method for performing electrotherapy on the patient includes measuring patient related information. The method further includes determining a characteristic of an arrhythmia using the patient related information. The method additionally includes supplying an electrotherapy waveform to the patient having a property based upon the characteristic of the arrhythmia.
An electrotherapy apparatus for performing electrotherapy on a patient through a first electrode and a second electrode includes an energy source to provide energy for performing electrotherapy. The electrotherapy apparatus also includes a connecting mechanism configured for coupling and decoupling the energy source to and from, respectively, the first electrode and the second electrode. The electrotherapy apparatus further includes a measuring device for measuring patient related information. Additionally, the electrotherapy apparatus includes a controller coupled to the connecting mechanism and the energy source and arranged to receive the patient related information from the measuring device. The controller includes a configuration for determining a characteristic of an arrhythmia from the patient related information. The controller also includes a configuration for adjusting the energy delivered to the patient based upon the characteristic of the heart arrhythmia.
A defibrillator for delivering a multi-phasic waveform to a patient through a first electrode and a second electrode includes a capacitor having a first terminal and having a second terminal. The capacitor is used to store charge for delivery of the multi-phasic waveform to the patient. The defibrillator further includes a power supply configured for charging the capacitor. The defibrillator also includes a connecting mechanism coupled between the first terminal and the second terminal of the capacitor and the first electrode and the second electrode to permit the first terminal of the capacitor to selectively couple to one of the first electrode and the second electrode and to permit the second terminal of the capacitor to selectively couple to one of the first electrode and the second electrode. The defibrillator further includes a waveform measuring device for measuring an ECG waveform. Additionally, the defibrillator includes a controller coupled to the connecting mechanism and arranged to receive the ECG waveform from the waveform measuring device. The controller includes a configuration to adjust the multi-phasic waveform based upon the ECG waveform.